Lighted plate



Jan. 5 ,'1926;

' J. MYTKO LIGHTED PLATE Filed July 17, 1925 Jac Mg/o l www BY mi M I Patented Jan. 5, 1926.

O F F lC E i vJACOB MYTK'O, OF DEFEW, NEW YORK.

LIGHTED PLATE.

Application nica Juiy 17, i925. ser-a1 No. 44,274.

vfront and rear portions of motor vehicles for illuminating the respective license plates therefore, in order that the said ylicense plates may be displayed to great advantage and the correct reading thereof be easily ascertained from a remote point both in the front and rear of the respective vehicle to which the present invention is applied.

A further object of my invention resides in the provision of a tail lamp constructed in the rear casing in order that a combined illuminated tail lamp and license plate is combined in one casing and illuminated by a single lamp bulb whereby there is a material saving of the electrical charge from the vehicle storage battery.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention further includes the following novel features and details of construe tion, to be hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawing and pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawing Figure 1 is a front elevation of my invention.

Figure 2 is a transverse section taken on line 2-2 of Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure Ll is a front elevation of the rear plate Within the compartment defined for the license plate.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary end view of the compartment showing a locking means therefore..

Referring to the drawing in detail, wherein like characters of reference denote corresponding parts, the reference. charao ter 1() indicates a lamp box having a lamp socket 11 extending through the rear end thereof and mounting an incandescent lamp bulb 12 upon its inner end and Within the lamp casing 10 and directly behind the lens 13 Which is preferably red and mounted in asimilar manner te the usual and conventional form tail lamp,

Arranged upon the bottom or under side of the said lamp casing 10 and being illuminated by the bulb 12 through an opening or slot l/l provided in the lower side ot' the lamp casing 10 is license plate compartment 15 having its forward end open and providing a rear Wall 16 Within which spring lingers 17 are secured to the inner sides thereof and having their respective ends tensioned against the rear side of the license plate 18 which in turn has a lens or plate of clear glass, as indicated at 19, arranged upon its face and which in turn has itsmarginal edges bearing against a gasket or packing 20 directly behind and lying Hush with an annular flange 21 ar ranged Within the said license plate compartment 15 in order that no abrasion Will thus occur upon the said lens or glass plate 19 and hence eliminate the cracking or breaking thereof and in rendering clearly discernible the correct reading of the respective license plate positioned directly be hind the said lens 19. It will thus be noted that the light thrown from the incandescent lamp bulb 12 Will pass through the opening 14 Within the bottom of the said lamp casing 10 and into the license plate compartment 15 and upon the said lens 19 whereby the license plate 18 positioned directly therebehind, Will be clearly illuminated.

In order to provide means for preventing theft of the said license plate 19 Within the said compartment 15, I provide a lock 21 upon the rear Wall 16 having its shank 22 extending Within an opening, not shown, Within an offset bracket 23 arranged upon one side of the license plate compartmenti. The rear vvall 16 is hingedly secured as at 24 to the. rear edge of the opposite side Wall composing the license plate coinpartn ment. 15 in order that the lock When so opened and the rear Wall 16 swung upon its pivotal point or hinges 24 will alloiv the user to readily and easily remove a li cense plate in the replacement of new one for the ensuing year.

It is quite obvious that from the foreN going description and accompanying drawing that although I have shown the preferred embodiment of my invention as composing a combined tail lamp and means for illuminating the vehicle license plate, that I do not intend to limit myself to this one form of invention but that the tail lamp or lens as indicated at 13 may be eliminated and the flat surface compose the forward portion of the said lamp casing l0 When using the said device upon the front of a vehicle where a tail lamp is not used and unnecessary.

The invention is susceptible of various changes in its form, proportions and minor details of construction, and the right is herein reserved to make such changes as properly fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Having described my invention what is claimed is l. An illuminated' license plate of the character described comprising a lamp casing having a tail lamp positioned upon its forward end, a transversely disposed elon- `gated compartment arranged upon the under side of and having communication with the said lamp casing, a license plate positioned within the said compartment, a lense for the license plate, spring fingers positioned upon the forward side of the compartment rear Wall for holding the license plate and lens therefore in a desired position, and means included upon the said rear wall for opening and locking the same in removing and replacingl the license plate for the ensuing year.

2^. An illuminated license plate of the character described comprising a lamp casing having a tail lamp lens mounted upon its forward end, a transversely disposed elongated compartment arranged upon the under side and having communication with the said lamp casing, the said compartment having a centrally mounted annular flange and rear wall therefore, a license plate and lens therefore positioned directly behind the flange, spring lingers arranged upon the forward sides of the rear wall and tensioned against the license plate for positioning the same and the lens therefore against the flange, and locking and swing ing means included upon the rear wall whereby the user may readily remove and replace the license plate for the ensuing year.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

J ACOB MYTKO. 

